the thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, 235
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence.
Cousins, a word, I pray you.
Macbeth. [Aside]. Two truths are told, 240
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme.—I thank you, gentlemen.
[Aside] This supernatural soliciting]
Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success, 245
Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor:
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears 250
Are less than horrible imaginings:
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man that function
Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is
But what is not. 255
Banquo. Look, how our partner's rapt.
Macbeth. [Aside] If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me,
Without my stir.
Banquo. New horrors come upon him,
Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould 260
But with the aid of use.
Macbeth. [Aside] Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
Banquo. Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.
Macbeth. Give me your favour: my dull brain was wrought 265
With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains
Are register'd where every day I turn
The leaf to read them. Let us toward the king.
Think upon what hath chanced, and, at more time,
The interim having weigh'd it, let us speak 270
Our free hearts each to other.
Banquo. Very gladly.
Macbeth. Till then, enough. Come, friends.
[Exeunt]
Act I, Scene 4
Forres. The palace.
[Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, and Attendants]
Duncan. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not
Those in commission yet return'd?
Malcolm. My liege,
They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that saw him die: who did report 280
That very frankly he confess'd his treasons,
Implored your highness' pardon and set forth
A deep repentance: nothing in his life
Became him like the leaving it; he died
As one that had been studied in his death 285
To throw away the dearest thing he owed,
As 'twere a careless trifle.
Duncan. There's no art
To find the mind's construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built 290
An absolute trust.
[Enter MACBETH, BANQUO, ROSS, and ANGUS]
O worthiest cousin!
The sin of my ingratitude even now
Was heavy on me: thou art so far before 295
That swiftest wing of recompense is slow
To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved,
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine! only I have left to say,
More is thy due than more than all can pay. 300
Macbeth. The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itself. Your highness' part
Is to receive our duties; and our duties
Are to your throne and state children and servants,
Which do but what they should, by doing every thing 305
Safe toward your love and honour.
Duncan. Welcome hither:
I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo,
That hast no less deserved, nor must be known 310
